Rare Shergar Blood at the MM National

Tara Madgwick - Monday May 28
The legend of Shergar, the Epsom Derby winner kidnapped by the IRA in 1983 and never seen again, is one of the great mysteries of racing and as the sire of five stakes-winners from his first and only crop of 25 runners, his presence in a pedigree is not only rare, but also a valuable positive.

Among those five stakes-winners for Shergar was the mighty Authall (GB), who won the Group I Irish St Leger, before venturing to Australia where he won both the Group I MRC Caulfield Stakes and AJC Queen Elizabeth Stakes.

Pretty SnitzelAnother standout, the Aga Khan's Group III winning filly Tashtiya, the third dam of Pretty Snitzel, who will be offered by Rothwell Park as Lot 1316 at the Magic Millions National Broodmare Sale.

Aga Khan Studs sent a number of mares to Arrowfield in 2008 to be bred in partnership with the Arrowfield sires and within the group was unraced Sinndar mare Tazkara (Fr), the dam of Pretty Snitzel, who is now for sale.

An eye-catching grey daughter of Australia's champion sire Snitzel, Pretty Snitzel raced just once, but her four other siblings are all winners highlighted by South African Group I winner Whisky Baron, the Champion Middle Distance Horse of South Africa for 2016/2017.

Pretty Snitzel's half-sister Downtown Manhattan raced just three times winning once at Murwillumbah, but has proven her worth immediately at stud with her first foal, a colt by Olympic Glory (IRE) fetching $600,000 at the Magic Millions this year for Arrowfield when bought by Katsumi Yoshida.

$600,000 Olympic Glory colt from a half-sister to Pretty SnitzelA young mare with an international pedigree offering appeal to buyers from all over the world, Pretty Snitzel will be offered in foal on a September service to Medaglia D'Oro (USA).

A champion sire for Godolphin in North America and here in Australia where he has left Group I colts Vancouver and Astern, Medaglia D'Oro will not shuttle to Australia any more so Pretty Snitzel's first foal will be in his last crop of yearlings to be sold at Australasian sales in 2020.

Pretty Snitzel is available for inspection at Stable J4.


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